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The relationship between the two largest economies in Asia has been marred throughout the 20th century due to territorial and political disputes including Taiwanese sovereignty; the invasion of China by Japan in the second world war and Japan’s subsequent refusal to acknowledge the extent of its war crimes; territorial disputes surrounding the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands and associated fishing rights and energy resources; and Japanese-American security co-operation.

The delegation members, including former foreign minister Katsuya Okada, hope to meet close aides to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: AFP

A delegation of senior Japanese lawmakers left for China yesterday to try to mend ties amid a territorial dispute which has prevented a leaders' summit.

The bipartisan delegation is led by Masahiko Komura, former foreign minister and vice-president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. It departed from Tokyo's Haneda airport in the morning for the three-day visit, officials said.

Japanese lawmakers are expected to meet Zhang Dejiang, the chairman of the National People's Congress, Kyodo reported.

The delegation is also scheduled to hold talks with former Chinese foreign minister Tang Jiaxuan and other officials, Japan's public broadcaster NHK said.

Members of the delegation, which includes former Japanese foreign minister Katsuya Okada, also hope to meet close aides to President Xi Jinping to try to arrange a summit between Xi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, NHK reported.

The two leaders have yet to hold a summit as relations between Tokyo and Beijing have fallen to their lowest point in years. Ties have eroded amid tensions over the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea. The islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan, are claimed by both China and Japan, but are now controlled by Tokyo.

In November, Beijing declared an air defence identification zone that covers much of the sea, riling Tokyo and South Korea. Recent visits by Japanese lawmakers to a war shrine in Tokyo, meanwhile, have angered China.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Japanese delegation on trip to mend ties

Japan and especially Japanese LDP members should realise that constantly stirring up the pot of hatred by praying to war criminals at the Yasukuni War shrine, white-washing Japanese barbaric war history, stealing other countries territories is what makes Japan unwelcomed. Until Japanese learns to behave like civilised people, Japan have no future in the world.